School Board OKs Memorial Field Renovation Design Changes

State College Area School Board on Monday night approved changes to the designs for upcoming renovations to Memorial Field.

The overall plans for the second and final phase of renovations to the stadium include new locker rooms, restrooms, pedestrian plazas, east-side seating and concessions, among the major elements.

The first change to the plans redesigns the West Nittany Avenue entrance to avoid pedestrian congestion. Upon entering, fans will be able to proceed to the right toward a new concession plaza or left to a walkway above the end zone connecting the east and west sides of the stadium.

Plans show four corner ticket booths -- one on Nittany Avenue, two on Fraser Street, and one at Sidney Friedman Park on the home bleacher side. Fans will exit through eight gates -- five on the home side, including under the bleachers, and three on the west, visitors' side.

The second change adjusts the locker room configuration with additional showers. Four designated locker rooms for home and visiting teams are planned under the home bleachers and spectator plaza, which will give flexibility for multiple practices or games in a single day.

The additional showers add about $60,000 to the $8.7 million project.

The current schedule calls for the project to be bid in April 2018 with bids awarded in May. Construction would begin in December 2018 with interior work done during the 2019 football season and completion by January 2020.

New member joins board; Chair and vice-chair elected

Prior to the start of Monday night's regular meeting, the board held a reorganization meeting. Centre County Judge Pamela Ruest swore in newly-elected member Lori Bedell and re-elected members Scott Fozard, David Hutchinson and Jim Leous

Beginning her first term on the board, Bedell is a senior lecturer in communications arts and sciences at Penn State. She and her family moved to State College in 2003 and her two daughters graduated from State High in 2012 and 2015.

The board also unanimously re-elected Amber Concepcion as chair and Leous as vice chair.

The Centre Region Office of Emergency Management on Wednesday (Dec. 6) will conduct a test of the region's Alerting and Notification Plan.

The test will take place between 10 a.m. and noon and during that time Centre Region residents will receive a Centre County Code Red test message. The message will be sent to any listed phone number in the Centre Region, as well as to cell phones that have bee